CQU Rockhampton staff member Val Gribble, from Human Resources, has been awarded the Member of the Order of Logohu (ML) - logohu being a Motu word for Bird of Paradise - in the PNG New Years Honours list.

The award is based on Ms Gribble's many years of voluntary work for the Anglican Church in Papua New Guinea as a member of The Girls Friendly Society (GFS) - a large worldwide church organisation which works mainly with women and children.

GFS was started during the Industrial Revolution in England to provide support, safety and friendship to young women moving from villages to the city to work in factories.

Ms Gribble, who has been visiting PNG since 1998, was nominated by members of GFS in PNG.

The citation reads: 'Mrs Valerie Dorothy GRIBBLE, ML: for service to the Anglican Church and the community in her involvement with the Girls Friendly Society for the care of women and young children'.

Ms Gribble first got involved with the idea of a PNG project in the 1990s via a family link to the then Archbishop of PNG Sir David Hand (who has since passed away).

"We started making contacts and gradually found someone interested who started branches in Popondetta in the impoverished province of Oro," she said.

[Popondetta is a 35-minute flight north-west of Port Moresby. It is the only town of significance in Oro province which includes the well-known World War II areas of Kokoda, 56km from Popondetta, and Buna].

"My dream and my responsibility of behalf of GFS was to encourage them to set goals and look at how they wanted GFS to develop and then I was able to help the PNG person to forward a proposal to the world body.

"During 2000-2002, the world body raised money for a resource building in Popondetta. We got this building going which I basically organised from my office in Rockhampton.

"Each year we would go up and do workshops. Unlike GFS in Australia which is an organisation for children, our goal is to help young women in PNG.

"We started by holding workshops on leadership in the church and community, building confidence and communication skills. I've been able to transfer some of my Uni skills, at a more basic level, and recently they asked for help with bookkeeping skills.

"We've been working through their goals to train young women to take their place in society and to make good marriages and we've helped with AIDS education.

"Now we have the building, I’ve been finding a donor to build up a small library, as literacy is a big problem".

Ms Gribble said the PNG project was moving into a new phase over the next 3 years.

"We’ve found another donor and we’re buying sewing machines. We'll be conducting workshops in basic life skills, cooking, sewing and making crafts...things that the women can sell to get more income because they have nothing".

Ms Gribble visits PNG once or twice each year and plans her next visit in March to coincide with the presentation of her award in Port Moresby on March 1.

"When we stay at the village, we live the local lifestyle. If we don't stay at the new building we bath in the river and sleep in a grass hut," she said.

"Our main organisers at the moment are both nursing sisters in the hospital but they are getting older and it’s hard to find new people".

Ms Gribble said one of the main achievements was getting the Popondetta locals to understand people are thinking of them and trying to help them.

"I just love the people," she said. "I have made deep and lasting friendships and my life has been changed and blessed through my work with and for the people of Oro Province".

Photos: Val Gribble during some of her visits to PNG.